The use of a sterilizing gas for retarding, controlling, killing, and/or preventing microbiological contamination of a product is known. Such gases generally include ethylene oxide, chlorine dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and the like. However, certain sterilizing gases cannot be transported commercially. In these cases, sterilization requires the use of a dedicated facility and equipment to generate the sterilizing gas at the point of use. More generally, sterilization requires large equipment to supply the sterilizing gas to the sterilization process, which takes up space and represents a significant added expense. In addition, controlling the amount of gas generated, the efficiency of the gas production, and the duration of the gas generation has proven difficult and/or unsuccessful using such equipment.
Continuing, sterilizing gases are highly toxic to humans. For example, chlorine dioxide gas can be toxic at vapor concentrations greater than 0.3 parts per million (ppm). As a result, conventional methods of on-site manufacture and delivery of sterilizing gas require not only expensive equipment, but extensive measures for gas containment, facility monitoring, and procedural control to avoid accidental exposure.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a reliable sterilizing system that does not require large and expensive equipment and specialized operators. In addition, there remains a need for a system in which the sterilizing gas is supplied from within a container, avoiding the need for large gas exposure chambers and excessive amounts of sterilization gas. Further, there remains a need in the art for a system that minimizes or eliminates the risk of user exposure to harmful sterilizing gases. Such a system would offer increased mobility, field use, and an increased safety benefit to users.